If I was to take a look at Vancouvers roster the first thing I would think is " wow what a soft team! This is going to be like slapping a kid!"

Pyatt and Choinard are huge granted but they sure don't play that way from what I understand.

Those of you that say Willie will take care of it! Go to you tube and watch how he couldn't even take care of that noted heavy wieght Ruttu. He didn't lose to Ruttu but he sure didn't handle him like I figured he would, or his reputation would lead you to believe he would.

This team is going to be very embarassing to watch some times this year.

ververgaert wrote:If I was to take a look at Vancouvers roster the first thing I would think is " wow what a soft team! This is going to be like slapping a kid!"

Pyatt and Choinard are huge granted but they sure don't play that way from what I understand.

Those of you that say Willie will take care of it! Go to you tube and watch how he couldn't even take care of that noted heavy wieght Ruttu. He didn't lose to Ruttu but he sure didn't handle him like I figured he would, or his reputation would lead you to believe he would.

This team is going to be very embarassing to watch some times this year.

Kevin Bieksa can sure hold his own. Luc Bourdon is a big hitter. I'm sure someone like Pyatt has the potential to develop a mean streak. He'll have to.

I would much rather spend my 450,000 on a player I can actually commit SOME minutes to, ie Burrows, rather than some jackass who sits for 59 minutes and MIGHT fight. And lets face it, watching a smaller guy man up and take a whooping does just as much for the guys on the ice as a goon thumping some poor soul. The heavyweight fighter is as much for the fans as anything else. These guys are pros, they don't get intimidated like peewees.

Island Nucklehead wrote:I would much rather spend my 450,000 on a player I can actually commit SOME minutes to, ie Burrows, rather than some jackass who sits for 59 minutes and MIGHT fight. And lets face it, watching a smaller guy man up and take a whooping does just as much for the guys on the ice as a goon thumping some poor soul. The heavyweight fighter is as much for the fans as anything else. These guys are pros, they don't get intimidated like peewees.

I would've liked someone like Brown more than Fitzpatrick, he can provide some reliable defensive minutes but was willing and able to drop the gloves. I'd still like us to get someone like that...

Still, Mitchell may not have been able to win fights, but that's not the only measure of toughness...Allen was similar, big, tough, strong, but not the best fighter.

Bieksa and Rypien are the opposite...not the biggest guys, but good Lord, can they fight! Santala was supposed to be tough as well, Bouck can fight and hit, maybe a cheaper Ruutu, if we re-sign him, Kesler can hit and fought pretty well against Iginla.

The_Pauser wrote:I dont know why people are worried about the Canucks not having a goon. In the new NHL goon's are a waste of money. We'll be just fine. Fewer penalties means more chances on the power play.

Island Nucklehead wrote:I would much rather spend my 450,000 on a player I can actually commit SOME minutes to, ie Burrows, rather than some jackass who sits for 59 minutes and MIGHT fight. And lets face it, watching a smaller guy man up and take a whooping does just as much for the guys on the ice as a goon thumping some poor soul. The heavyweight fighter is as much for the fans as anything else. These guys are pros, they don't get intimidated like peewees.

Does having your smaller guy receive a whooping allow all your other players play with that much less fear of retribution? I think I've written it before, Naslund has stated before that when Langdon came to the team, it allowed the team to play just that much bigger knowing a deterrent is on the bench.

MarkMM wrote:I would've liked someone like Brown more than Fitzpatrick, he can provide some reliable defensive minutes but was willing and able to drop the gloves. I'd still like us to get someone like that...

Still, Mitchell may not have been able to win fights, but that's not the only measure of toughness...Allen was similar, big, tough, strong, but not the best fighter.

Bieksa and Rypien are the opposite...not the biggest guys, but good Lord, can they fight! Santala was supposed to be tough as well, Bouck can fight and hit, maybe a cheaper Ruutu, if we re-sign him, Kesler can hit and fought pretty well against Iginla.

So we're not loaded up, but we're not unarmed, either.

We also have guys by the name of Mike Brown and Adam Keefe that don't mind dropping them on the Moose, but look at the stature of each of the players you listed...plain and simply, they are not heavies (unless we have the makings of the next Tie Domi with one of them).

Personally, I think if one of our stars gets a cheap shot then the offender should be jumped/smashed in the face/gooned immidiatly following. I think if Cooke smashed out the front set of chicklets the message would be pretty clear. The whole notion of having your goon fight the other goon is so Junior hockey...usually its not the goon that attacks the star because the other coach knows he will be just a pylon in the middle of a power play drill. We're playing to the instigator penalty this season, me thinks.

Haha, on the lighter side, it's too bad we don't have break-neck-Bertuzzi anymore. If his PR people had swung that the right way, he'd be the most terrifying player in history. Imagine him skating up beside Avery and saying something like..."Touch Markus Naslund and I'll not only end your your livelihood, but your ability to walk a straight line and speak coherent sentenes as well. Tried the new Gerber formula, yet?"